Statistical record verifying device



March 7, 1950 w; WOCKENFUSS STATISTICAL RECORD VERIFYINQ DEVICE Filed May 20, 1948 IN VEN TOR. Mlb'am llbckenthss,

Patented Mar. 7, 1950 STATISTICAL RECORD VERIFYING DEVICE William Wockenfuss, Union, N. J aasignor to Control Instrument Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 20, 1948, Serial No. 28,249

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in statistical card machines and has particular reference to a verifying device therefor.

As well known, verifying machines have been provided for checking the accuracy of data punched in a statistical card, wherein when an error has been made the sensing element or pin will contact the card and, in so doing, will prevent operation of the escapement which would otherwise move the card'to its next columnar position for verification.

Heretofore, in machines of this character, the inertia of the mass which includes the punching key and its operating lever, is such that the striking of the key to depress the sensing pin causes the latter to engage the card, when no perforation is present, with such force that a permanent indentation is formed in the upper surface of the card and the lower surface thereof is embossed due to the coaction of the pin with the edge of the opening in the associated die plate; and it sometimes occurs, when the striking force upon the key is excessive, that the pin will even penetrate the card, thus destroying its usefulness.

1 The unavoidable embossing of the cards in the manner described has occasioned sufflcient spacing of the cards when stacked in a magazine to cause, at times, the cards to be fed inaccurately from the magazine and beneath the usual throat plate.

The present invention is designed to provide a solution to the above difliculties by utilizing the pressure exerted upon a card, when a verifying element contacts the same in the absence of a perforation, to prevent embossing of the card by said element.

A further feature resides in employing a card, when pressure is exerted thereon by a verifying element, to reduce the size of the opening through which said element would normally pass when sensing a perforation in said card.

Another feature is to mount in the bed plate of a verifying machine a card support including cooperating and relatively movable members which normally combine to provide an opening therebetween for the passage of a verifying element, but which are operated, by pressure of said element upon the card, to so restrict said opening as to prevent said element from embossing the card under the influence of said pressure.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions some of which, for purposes of illustration, are shown in the accompanying drawing; but it is to be expressly understood that said drawing is utilized 2 merely to facilitate the description of the invention as a whole and not to define the limits thereof, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a verifying machine with the device of the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the verifying pins with its associated card supporting device shown in normal position wherein it presents an opening for the passage of said pin when the latter senses a. card perforation;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the supporting device in plan;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 2, showing the position of the card supporting device when the verifying pin contacts the card instead of passing through a perforation therein;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a different form of card supporting device; and nFig. 6 is a plan view of the device shown in In order to illustrate one of the many adaptations of the invention, the same is shown in connection with an operating mechanism such as disclosed in the patent to Cleven, 2,102,577, dated December 14, 1937, there being only sufficient portion of said mechanism illustrated as deemed necessary for a full understanding of the invention herein.

In Fig. 1, the numeral 1 indicates the base plate of a verifying machine over which a card 8 is moved, column by column, by the usual escapement mechanism which includes a "pivoted bail 9 common to-the various operating levers l0 that are actuated by the individual keys ii of the machine. Standards I! on the bed plate I are connected by the upper and lower cross bars I3 and H which constitute guides for the vertically movable verifying pins l5 each of which has a spring 16 coiled thereabout and interposed between the lower guide it and the enlarged head i! of the pin so as to be compressed by downward movement of said pin under the influence of its lever l0, and operable thereafter to restore said pin when pressure thereon is removed. A plate ii at the upper ends of the standards I! supports a housing IS in which is mounted a spring pressed fulcrum pin 20 for each lever ill, and the construction is such that when a key I I is struck, its lever III will pivot about the-pin 20 and thus depress the pin ii. It said pin finds a perforation in the card 8, it will pass through the latter and the pin 20 will continue to act as the 111 crum of the lever II with the result that the ball 8 will be fully actuated to release the escapement mechanism and thus advance the card to its next column for subsequent verification. However, should the pin I! contact the card, the resistance thereof plus that of the spring ll against further downward pressure will overcome the resistance of the spring of pin 20 and the fulcrum for the lever I will be transferred to the head ll of the pin i5. When this occurs, the portion of the lever i0 contacting ball 8 will not be depressed sufliciently to fully actuate said ball and the escapement will fail to advance the card.

In known machines of the character above described, such as the Cleven patent, supra, a die is provided in the bed plate of the machine having an opening therein slightly larger than the lower end of the verifying pin for receiving said end when it passes through a perforation in a card. However, when the card is struck by said pin, the pressure upon its lower extremity causes the latter to coact with the edge of said die opening to form an indentation in the upper surface of the card and an embossment on the lower surface thereof or, if the key I l is struck with excessive force, a hole may be punched.

In order to prevent these detrimental actions, use is made of the pressure exerted upon the card, when the pin l contacts the same, to at least restrict, and preferably close, the opening through which the pin would pass if it sensed a perforation and, by so altering said opening, proyido a support for the card which will prevent the pin from embossing the same since, with the opening closed or restricted, said pin will no longer coact with the edge of the opening as in prior constructions. To accomplish said purpose, the usual die is herein dispensed with and, in its stead, there is provided a housing 2| countersunk in the bed plate 1 and adapted to contain a supporting device associated with each of the pins ii.

In Figs. 1 to 4, said device is shown as comprising two cooperating supporting members 22 preferably in the form of substantially trangular shaped blocks mounted in inverted position in the housing with their apexes resting upon the bottom thereof to provide pivotal points for the members. The bases of said members 22 are uppermost and normally extend at upwardly converging angles, as best shown in Fig. 2, and slightly above the plane of the base plate 1 to form supports for the card 8. Said members 22 are normally and yieldably maintained in said position by any suitable means such as the coil spring 23 interposed therebetween and. in such position, the contiguous edges of the bases of said members provide an opening 24 of sufficient width to permit passage of the lower end of the pin i5 when a perforation in a card is sensed. On the other band, should no perforation be present when the pin is depressed, it will contact the upper card surface and, by reason of the pressure thereon, the card will act to rock the members 22 toward each other to the position of Fig. 4 wherein said contiguous edges of the members will abut to completely close the opening 24. The bases of said members 22 will then be flush with the surface of the bed plate I and will provide a practically continuous support for the under surface of the card which will prevent the pressure of the lower extremity of the pin i5 thereon from embossing said surface.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the housing 25 is again countersunk in thebedplate'l and.inthisinstance.isboredto provide an opening 2| for receiving the pin II when it penetrates a perforation in the card I, and is further provided with a recess 21 in the upper portion thereof, the bottom of said recess having an upstanding boss II.

The card supporting device may be formed from a blank of resilient sheet metal and comprises a base flange 2! which rests upon the bottom of the recess 21 and from opposed points of which extend the tongues that converge upwardly above the boss 28. Baid tongues terminate at their upper ends in enlarged portions ll disposed horizontally in opposed relation and normally in the plane of the upper surface of the bed plate I. The opposed edges of said portions ii are normally spaced from each other and are provided with notches 32 which combine to form an opening I! of sufficient size to permit the passage of the lower end of the pin I! when a card perforation is sensed. Should the pin I! contact the card, the pressure thereon will be transmitted by it to the portions 3| which, in this instance, yield slightly to this pressure and, in so doing, are moved toward each other to contract or restrict the opening 33 to a size smaller than that of the lower extremity of the pin ii. In this manner, the portions 3| will directly receive the pressure of the pin l5 and the edges of the opening 33 will not coact with said pin to form an embossment in the lower surface of the card, the latter merely temporarily bending to said pressure and being restored to a flat condition by the resiliency of the tongues 30 after said pressure is removed. The resistance of said tongues to the pin pressure, combined with the resistance of the spring 16 of said pin, effects the transfer of the fulcrum of lever B in the same manner as above described so that contact of the pin with a card will prevent full operation of the escapement mechanism.

What is claimed is:

1. In a statistical card verifying machine, a verifying element operable to sense perforations in a card and to engage said card in the absence of a perforation therein, means to operate said element, and movable card controlled members forming a support for a card and having a normal position in which said members are spaced for the passage of said verifying element when it senses a. perforation in a card. said members being movable to restrict said space by pressure of said card against said members when said verifying element contacts said card.

2. In a statistical card verifying machine, a verifying element, a card support wherein an opening is located for the passage of said verifying element when sensing a perforation, and card controlled means for reducing the size of said opening when said verifying element contacts said card.

3. In a statistical card verifying machine, a verifying element operable to sense perforations in a card and to engage said card in the absence of a perforation therein, means to operate said element, and means responsive to the pressure of said verifying element against said card upon coming in contact therewith when sensing the same, to form a support for the under surface of the card in the area of contact of said element therewith.

4. In a statistical card verifying machine, a verifying element operable to sense perforations in a card and to engage said card in the absence of a perforation therein, means to operate said element, and means beyond which said verifying element passes when sensing a perforation and responsive to the pressure of said element against said card caused by contact therewith to form a rigid support for said card in the area of said contact.

5. In a statistical card verifying machine, a verifying element operable to sense perforations in a card and to engage said card in the absence of a perforation therein, means to operate said element, and means beyond which said verifying element passes when sensing a perforation and responsive to the pressure of said element against said card caused by contact therewith to form a yieldable support for said card in the area of contact of said element therewith.

6. In a statistical verifying machine, a bed plate over which a card is movable during verifying operations, a verifying element operable to sense perforations in said card and to contact the same in the absence of a perforation therein, means to operate said element, and a card supporting device mounted in said bed plate and including cooperating members forming an opening for the passage of said verifying element when the same senses a perforation and controlled by pressure of said verifying element against said card to reduce the size of said opening.

'7. In a statistical verifying machine, a bed plate over which a card is movable during verifying operations, a verifying element operable to sense perforations in said card and to contact the same in the absence of a perforation therein, means to operate said element, and cooperating and relatively movable members mounted in said bed plate engaged by said card when the latter is in verifying position and normally spaced to provide an opening for the passage of said verifying element therebetween when a card perforation is sensed, said cooperating members being relatively moved by contact of said verifying element with said card to close said opening and form a continuous support for the card.

8. In a statistical verifying machine, a bed plate over which a card is movable during verifying operations, a verifying element operable to sense perforations in said card and to contact the same in the absence of a perforation therein, means to operate said element, and cooperating and relatively movable members mounted insaid bed plate engaged by said card when the latter is in verifying position and normally spaced to provide an opening for the passage of said verifying element therebetween when a card perforation is sensed, said cooperating members being controlled by pressure of said verifying element upon said card to reduce said opening to a size less than the width of said verifying element.

9. In a statistical verifying machine, a bed plate over which a card is movable during verifying operations, a verifying element operable to sense perforations in said card and to contact the same in the absence of a perforation therein,

means to operate said element, and cooperating and relatively movable members mounted in said bed plate engaged by said card when the latter is in verifying position and normally spaced to provide an opening for the passage of said verifying element therebetween when a card perforation is sensed, cooperating blocks pivotally mounted in said bed plate and having card supporting surfaces normally providing an opening therebetween for the pasage of said verifying element when the latter senses a card perforation, said blocks being movable about their pivots by said card to close said opening when pressure is exerted upon said card.

WILLIAM WOCKENFU SS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Cleven -s Dec. 14, 1937 Number 

